Plot
This family musical enjoys the dubious distinction of being the first film ever based on a theme park attraction, the "Country Bears Jamboree" at Disneyworld. Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osment) is an adolescent bruin raised by a human family after he was found by a park ranger, abandoned in the forest. Curious about his biological roots, Beary travels to Tennessee to seek out his birth parents while attempting to locate the members of his favorite musical group -- a defunct country music act called the Country Bears -- along the way. Country Bear Hall, the famed venue where the band was launched, is facing imminent destruction at the hands of greedy banker Reed Thimple (Christopher Walken), but young Beary has a plan to save the hall by staging a reunion benefit concert. Beary's path takes him through a guitar duel, a vintage coffee house, and a car wash, as he's pursued by a pair of bumbling cops (Diedrich Bader and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell) trying to reunite him with his adoptive parents. Meanwhile, a panoply of musical legends including Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, and Queen Latifah appear Behind the Music-style to comment on the Country Bears' alleged artistic influence on their work. The Country Bears, the first in a pair of planned Disney projects based on the company's theme park rides (the second is slated to be based on "Pirates of the Caribbean"), co-stars Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Garrett, Alex Rocco, and Stephen Root. ~ Karl Williams, RoviReview
Don't believe the critics. With songs by John Hiatt, vocals by Hiatt, Don Henley, and Bonnie Raitt, and appearances by Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, and rockabilly hero Brian Setzer, The Country Bears is far hipper than the animatronic troupe of fuzz balls from the old Disneyland theme show. The fantasy story plays out like a fur-covered The Commitments, with a bright dose of the old "let's put on a show" plot twist, but the young target audience won't find the familiar story line tiresome in the least, and parents will be relieved to see the Bears have soul, not just in their tunes but also in their intentions as well. Only the crustiest curmudgeon will complain that none of the humans in the film question the fact that the bears talk, walk upright, wear clothing, and can play guitar. This warm and fuzzy winner was drummed out of theaters by tepid reviews (a situation which unfortunately may preclude sequels), but the small screen at home may be the best place to watch this anyway. The Country Bears deserves an audience. ~ Buzz McClain, RoviCast
- Christopher Walken - Reed Thimple
- Stephen Tobolowsky - Norbert Barrington
- Daryl Mitchell - Officer Hamm
- M.C. Gainey - Roadie
- Diedrich Bader - Officer Cheets
Credit
Maria Baker - Art Director, John G. Scotti - Associate Producer, Ruth Lambert - Casting, Genevieve Tyrrell - Costume Designer, John G. Scotti - First Assistant Director, Peter Hastings - Director, George Bowers - Editor, Seth Flaum - Editor, Christopher Young - Composer (Music Score), Nora Felder - Musical Direction/Supervision, John Hiatt - Songwriter, Dan Bishop - Production Designer, C. Mitchell Amundsen - Cinematographer, Jeffrey Chernov - Producer, Andrew Gunn - Producer, Kathe Klopp - Set Designer, Mary Finn - Set Designer, Steve Nelson - Sound/Sound Designer, Mark Perez - Screenwriter, Jim Henson's Creature Shop - Animatronic Effects, Kathe Klopp - Set Decorator| The Countess of Monte Cristo (1948 Film), The Countess of Monte Cristo (1934 Film) | |
| The Country Beyond (1936 Film), The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (1984 Film) |
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